Journals and Conference Proceedings
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Browsing Journals and Conference Proceedings by Author "Acheson, Gillian"
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Item Teaching the Tool of the Trade: Understanding Teachers’ Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practices about Map Skills(The Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education, 2001) Acheson, GillianMap learning is one of the most researched areas of geography education. Despite considerable research in map learning, few studies address instructional practices. The few that do confirm the advantages of even small amounts of instruction on map use, but also correctly imply that it is unknown if instruction in reading and interpreting maps takes place. Additionally, it is unknown whether educators have the requisite knowledge and skills to instruct students effectively about maps. The following questions are addressed in this research: (1a) What are teachers’ beliefs1 about map use and understanding; and, (1b) What knowledge2 about map use and understanding do teachers possess? (2) To what extent do teachers understand the curricular requirements about map skills? (3) What are teachers’ practices3, that is, what, when, and how are map skills currently taught in geography/social studies courses? The goal of this study is to understand teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and practices regarding map skills.Item Undergraduate Students' Declarative and Configurational Understanding of Biomes(The Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education, 2010) Acheson, Gillian; Beilfuss, MeredithStudent's alternative conceptions in physics and chemistry content have been researched in recent years but equivalent research in physical geography has not been published. This research is important because most alternative conceptions begin in a person's early years and persist into adulthood. In the present study twenty-six interviews were conducted with introductory, nonscience majors at a large, research university in the Midwest. Students marked locations on a world map that corresponded to biomes, such as desert, rainforest, grassland, and tundra. Content analysis suggests that students hold a number of misconceptions about the spatial distribution of these phenomena on Earth. Spatial knowledge, ranging from declarative (prior knowledge) to configurational (knowledge of the relationships between and among locations), was observed among the students surveyed. The wide range of understanding observed has implications for teaching physical geography from a causal perspective.